Focus Media (Kigali)
Mercy Omuntu
24 June 2009
column
A humble but cheerful Ndagijimana with a radiant smile squats in the corner of the room. On seeing us he readily offers his hand in greeting. Though he can't stand, he claps his hands and shakes his shoulders, as the music plays; his love for music is obvious.
Ndagijimana was not born disabled. "At the age of three, I suffered from polio," explains the youngest in a family of seven children.
Yet his disability has not stopped him from doing what he enjoys most, and that is singing and dancing.
"I started as a drama actor, way back in 1992, in Mbarara in Uganda, before I joined the popular Ben Rutabana's band as a dancer," he says.
However, Ben left the country and being the courageous and ambitious man he is, Ndagijimana started writing his own music in 2000. His first hit was Urihe Muhayempundu.
"I sang this song after my wife had left me and I went looking for her but couldn't find her. This was a very hard a time for me," Ndagijimana explains the origin of the song. Fortunately, the couple is back together now.
He has so far three songs to his name and is currently working on the fourth one which he says will be even better than the first three.
Ndigijimana believes that disability is not inability, and stresses that as long as you are not mentally disabled, you can do anything.
"Many people think that being disabled means that you are useless, but I want to show that is wrong. That's why I went out to talk to people instead of isolating myself and feeling sorry, which wouldn't help me in any way. I knew that there was something I could do in this world, rather than sitting by the road side and beg."
When asked where he finds the courage to keep going, Ndagijimana smiles, remembering his old friend Ben Rutabana, who he says is the source of his inspiration.
"I loved Ben and his music; he was like a brother to me. He had a talent most musicians lack. Ben was someone I could approach easily because he was down to earth."
Ndagijimana admits that it is not always easy being disabled with a family and working as an artist, but explains that he manages to survive with the help from well-wishers, and sometimes he sings at parties.
He doesn't do many real concerts though, but he plans to organize one when his new song is finished. He is convinced it will be a hit not only in Rwanda but in East Africa as a whole.
In case you are a fan of Reggae, Afro beat and RnB music, Ndagijimana will offer you all of that. He comes up with his songs the hard way.
"Sometimes when I have a problem, I get up in the middle of the night troubled, and the song just comes up. So I write it and after getting the lyrics, I also find my own beat."
According to him, the music industry in Rwanda is developing more than in other countries.
"Since the number of radio stations has increased, music can get more airtime. But the problem still is that we only have one TV channel, which doesn't play a lot of our local music. If more channels could be brought in to put most of the local music on the national scene, it would be an improvement."
And to fellow disabled people, Ndagijimana has a hearty message that they should think positively instead of thinking that they are useless, because people will not give you money today and tomorrow and the next day, they eventually get tired of you.
"As long as you are not mentally disabled, you can do something. My motto always is 'Hope for the better'."
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And, in many places, people with mental disabilities can can accomplish things...do art work, hold jobs (or did before this depression), etc.
Thank you for telling us about Ndagijimana.
Ndagijimana's story is lovely, and I wish him nothing but good. My only question is whether people nowadays are only able to experience financial and social success through entertainment. In the USA, that's just about the only way young people seem to aim in the world, especially blacks, for whom it's either sports or singing.
I wish Ndagimana every success at the same time as I hope other Africans will show their skills in every other possible field of human endeavor. We desperately need people to PRODUCE the goods that we all need to survive -- being… [Read Full Text]